A little bit about the Beloved Son's Ministry:

A Gathering of Christian Men

We are living in an age of confusion about the role and value of men - about our Catholic Faith's promises of abundant life when we live as followers of Jesus.  As opposed to the self-reliant, "go it alone" philosophy of our culture, the Beloved Sons follow the example of Christ who sent His disciples out "two by two"!

We recognize with this community of faith that in the journey toward Christian maturity, we need one another.  As Christian brothers, we need to support and affirm one another as well as share our gifts and faith experiences.  Only by uniting as companions on the journey toward wholeness and salvation can we come to know the grace and love of Jesus Christ - the power that will enable us to live as witnesses to our faith in a world that constantly challenges our values and beliefs.

We invite you to come and break bread with the Beloved Sons of St. James - your companions on the journey of faith.  Join with one another twice a month to be nourished and fed  by your brothers in Christ.

You will not go away hungry!

Purpose:

• Consistently reach out to all men of our faith community in a caring way.

• Gather the men periodically for a Fellowship Gathering.

• Invite men to participate in the life of our community of faith.

• Promote, affirm and support men's effort to  live and grow in the way and teachings of  Jesus Christ.

Dear Brothers of the Lord,

What does it mean to be a man?  How can you become the best version of the man that God created you to be?  In what ways can you shape that unique image, embracing who you are and reflecting it to others; your spouse, your children, your family, your colleagues and your friends?

Big questions, aren't they?

All men struggle with these questions. 

We believe that we are created for greatness, made in the image of God the Father.  Our ministry with men will help you look at this belief and these questions in the context of your own personal faith journey.  We will help you reflect on them, and assist you as you try to integrate them into your daily life.  Living on a deeper level will have a tremendous impact in all of your relationships. As life issues come up, knowing there are others to guide and support you makes your journey a lot easier and more fulfilling.  If you stand alone, you’ll probably not be able to look at these issues objectively or address them at a deeper level.  You’ll remain on the surface of all your relationships.  Life wants to give you so much more.

There are not many groups of men who are willing to deal with the serious issues of life that men need to deal with.  Our Ministry with Men wants to be that group for you and will guide you along the journey that is your life, so that you can become the man you were created to be—the best version of yourself. 

You’ll be hearing from us from time-to-time to help you, guide you, and get you thinking, perhaps, a little differently. We’ll invite you to share who you are and show you some practical ways to help your faith become more real. You’ll be invited to take this journey at your own pace in a non-judgmental, supportive atmosphere.

So, through the years, we’ll consistently communicate with you and periodically invite you to join with other men to reflect on men’s issues.  These include:

• Discussing and dealing with the anxiety and fear that come   with the transitions in your life

• How to grow out of boyish attitudes and behaviors and grow into a fully mature and vital man

• Men’s spirituality and sexuality

• Everyday stresses of life and various life-giving coping skills

• Embracing emotional hurt, loss, and sickness through the eyes of faith

• Integrating gospel values in your life in practical ways 

Here is some feedback regarding this year’s weekend retreat at the Holy Family Retreat Center in West Hartford, CT, held in early November. 

"Just spent a reinvigorating and reflective weekend at the Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford. This years theme , the Light of Simplicity, couldn't have come at a better time. Food for thought, body, mind and soul. Gave me a chance to ratchet back a bit before moving forward. Even though we were only an hour from home, it felt light years away. Highly (pun intended) recommended." - Jim Travers

"Last year when I was asked to attend a retreat at the Holy Family Retreat Center, I was not sure what to expect. This year marks the second retreat I’ve attended. The thought provoking workshops, the moving opportunities for worship and the fellowship between the attendees made the weekend very rewarding. Even though this was only my second time going to the retreat, I looked forward to it for weeks. I learned a lot, broke bread with some great people and recharged myself. I was so moved by this retreat that I am going to go to day retreats during the year. I am grateful for being introduced to the retreat and plan on attending more annual retreats in the future." - Chad Betz

"The 'light of simplicity' Weekend. The Holy Family Retreat experience, once again, was significantly Awesome. It's all about getting closer to our Big Guy - getting some 'Simple' help so we don't take our eyes off Him and respond negatively (get complicated) when some difficulty hits us. There were (3) 'Simple' take aways, on how the weekend helped me stay in practice with my hope in God. They were: 1) pray - remember to ask God for His help. 2) - give thanks - especially in our tough times so we may see the silver lining in our difficulty, that God will use for our good. 3) trust - not worry, believe it's in God's control. BLESSINGS on making it simple!" - Walt Cichocki

"Being at a retreat weekend at Holy Family allows me to ‘recharge’ my spiritual batteries. I am with many other men who believe, like I do, that our faith is important. That support alone would be enough to get me to go. But combine that with the wisdom that the retreat team gives us every year and it is an unbeatable combination – one that I make every effort to take part in every year.

This year’s theme especially hit home because, at least for me, life have been getting more and more complicated. The retreat team gave me some valuable ideas on how to get to the core of my faith (essentially making it simpler) and also some practical ideas on how to handle the complicated life." - Dave Zamachaj